Posts on the topic of "Holocaust"

The story of Hungarian Jewry during World War Two is one of the most tragic elements of the Holocaust.

The community of approximately 850,000 Hungarian Jews avoided deportation during much of the war, but in May 1944 sweeping transports were begun to Auschwitz. On a typical day, 12,000 Hungarian Jews were being unloaded from cattle cars and directed straight to the gas chambers.

Over 70% of Hungarian Jewry was wiped out in a span of months – what Winston Churchill would later call "the greatest and most horrible crime ever committed in the whole history of the world."

And now Hungarian Nazis are back in the news.

Laszlo Csatary, the world's most-wanted Nazi war criminal who was a Hungarian police commander, has now been arrested in Hungary. The 97-year-old Csatary was in charge of the Jewish ghetto in Kassa, Hungary, where in April 1944 he supervised the loading of 16,000 Jews onto trains headed for the crematoria at Auschwitz.

Csatary was convicted in absentia for war crimes and sentenced to death by a court in Czechoslovakia in 1948. He escaped to Canada where he lived under a fake identity for nearly 50 years. He escaped again, before being tracked down in Budapest.

Another "Hungarian Nazi" was in the news this week when it was revealed that Hungarian politician Csanad Szegedi, a member of European Parliament, discovered that his maternal grandmother was Jewish and had been imprisoned in Auschwitz.

The irony is that Szegedi is a member of Jobbik, a radical neo-Nazi party which has proclaimed it the "duty" of all Hungarians to "prepare for armed battle against the Jews."

Szegedi, who now says he is proud of his Jewish heritage, recently met with the Chief Rabbi of Hungary. In response, the Jobbik party is pressuring him to resign his seat in European Parliament.

Nearly 70 years after the war, remnants of Nazism are alive and well in Hungary.

I read a very moving story about residents of an upscale apartment building in Berlin who began to ask themselves the question: Did Jews used to live in this building? And what ever became of them?

They took the question seriously and conducted a mammoth worldwide hunt to find out the fate of those who inhabited their apartments – some of the 160,000 Jews who lived in Berlin prior to Hitler's rise to power.

The impetus for this project occurred when Peter Schulz, a resident of the building was viewing an exhibition on Jews before World War II. Suddenly he found himself standing in front of a photograph of two children standing on a balcony – Schulz's very own balcony.

He became obsessed with finding out the identity of those two children. After much research, he discovered that one of them, Werner Vohs, died aged 17 at Auschwitz. The girl in the photo, his sister Margot, was the only survivor among her immediate family. She lives today in Peru.

Schulz called a meeting of the other tenants and enlisted them in his project. It took three years of painstaking research to track down the former tenants, with hundreds of hours spent combing through city archives, and sending letters all over the world to gather information.

In all, they discovered that 28 residents of their building had been driven out by the Nazis. Most were murdered at Auschwitz, Theresienstadt or Treblinka.

One of the former residents, Kurt Landsberger, was 18 when he was forced to leave the building. Landsberger is now 90 years old and lives in New Jersey.

When he was located by the current residents, they invited Landsberger to come visit his old apartment. Landsberger flew to Berlin, where he received an emotional tour of the place where he grew up.

As a culmination of the project, the residents have hung a permanent plaque at the entrance of the building, listing each of the 28 names of the former Jewish residents.

Says resident Gabrielle Pfaff: "I was born in 1949 and I often asked my parents what they did under the Nazis. My parents' generation closed its eyes. I want to make sure that such a crime never happens again."

Visitor Comments: 7

Did they offer to return the apartment to it's previous owner/resident?

Did they offer to return the apartment to it's previous owner/resident? If not, so what in tarnashin is so amazing
about letting her come for a "visit"? Big deal!

(2)
Ann,
August 3, 2012 7:18 PM

The Longing to be Remembered

Such a fine story, one that reminds us that even beyond this life, a neshama longs to not be forgotten. Years ago I moved into an old house, where I still reside. Larger than anything I needed, and one of the village's prettiest estates, I understood that HaShem had sent me here for His reasons and so I moved in. I wondered who might have lived here over its 156 years of existence. As the months stretched into years, I began to sense that it had once been the home of a Jewish family. It seemed unlikely in this very orange-protestant town, but I trusted my instincts. I noticed some walls were left unfinished in corners. And every afternoon, rainbows stream in through the old lead windows, casting beautiful reminders of HaShem's promise to Noach on the walls. A special feeling began to fill me that I was not the first woman 'to Shema' at the small kitchen window facing East, early mornings. Then one day, I learned from the elderly woman who now owns this house, that her husband had bought it from a young Jewish man, 62 years ago. That young man later became a giant in Canada and Israel, his and his wife's community work and tzedakas generous beyond words. How could I have known? I just did. Now, every Shabbat, I set out two special china cups on saucers for that man and his wife, blessed be their memory. My remembering them is a blessing to me and my family, too.

EunKyungHan,
August 22, 2012 9:53 PM

very impressioned

Very touched story. I believe your instinct.

(1)
Laura,
July 31, 2012 3:22 AM

Yes but I have a question for all of them

Do these same people who worked tirelessly to uncover the past of this apartment building support Israel's right to exist? I often find some people may espouse one thing when it comes to the Shoah and Jews, but have an entirely different take on the State of Israel.

Allen,
August 1, 2012 5:00 AM

Why The Question???

What a negative outlook to a beautiful story!

yaacov,
August 1, 2012 2:07 PM

I think Laura's question is well taken.

M. D.,
August 2, 2012 7:14 AM

What on earth has that got to do with what the article is about?

Maybe that is true but the article was not about support for Israel - it was about Germans acknowledging the destruction of the Jews lives in their country and crimes perpetuated by the previous generation.

Back what seems like a lifetime ago, I was making the transition from working in the field of entertainment to working for Jewish causes. The first job I got was as an American liaison for Yitzhak Shamir during his tenure as Israeli Prime Minister (the two of us, pictured here).

Shamir had moved to Israel in 1935, leaving behind his family who were all murdered in the Holocaust. His father had succeeded in escaping from a German death train, only to return to his Polish village where he was promptly beaten to death by childhood friends.

These events greatly informed Shamir's political views, and in the 1940s he became a leader of the Stern Gang whose goal was to drive the British colonialists out of Israel, thus paving the way for Jewish independence.

Yet while Shamir was a firm ideologue, his greatness lay in his ability to be a pragmatist at the same time. Though he was committed to Jewish settlement throughout the Land of Israel, he attended the 1991 Madrid Conference becoming the first Israeli Prime Minister to enter into negotiations with the Palestinians.

On one hand, Shamir was very forthright in Israel's right to defend itself, while on the other hand during the 1991 Gulf War he took the difficult strategic measure of not striking back when Saddam Hussein was hurling scud missiles onto Tel Aviv.

It is these two sides – tough yet compromising – that enabled him to serve so ably.

When he first came to Israel, he changed his family name to Shamir, which is, according to Talmudic lore (Gittin 68b), the name of a worm which can cut through stone. It was used to produce the blocks of the Holy Temple, since metal cutting implements were not appropriate in a place devoted to peace.

To me this sums up Yitzhak Shamir: Firmly devoted to peace, yet stronger than iron and not afraid to use it when necessary.

Yitzhak Shamir has died at age 96, and is being buried today in Jerusalem. He was not a politician who sought glory, fame or riches; he served with modesty and unswerving devotion. May his memory be for a blessing.

Visitor Comments: 8

(7)
Anonymous,
July 4, 2012 7:17 AM

In memory .....

Israel was indeed fortunate to have had a leader of his wisdom and character, displaying the right qualities at the right times. May his memory continue to be an inspiration to all those who follow in positions of influence in our beloved land.

yes, a beautiful eulogy. while a couple of jewish bloggers have been criticising him, its very heartwarming to read this. what Hashem expects of every jew, loving one another. some jews fought physical wars, some jews fought spiritual wars, while other jews studied torah and prayed for israel. each is equally important in its own way. thank you rabbi shraga. may many read this article and give due respect to the dead.

(4)
p.herring,
July 3, 2012 11:49 PM

Farewell Yitzak Shamir

The founding fathers move on - none greater than Yitzak Shamir.
The courageous efforts of Lehi and Irgun against the British, hampered and even betrayed at times by socialist elements from within the Jewish agency,were a driving force in hastening the departure of the colonial
occupier from Palestine.
Militarily Britain could not be beaten. However politically, the economic cost of maintaining a large garrison to combat the Freedom Fighters, could not be justified at a time when Britain was undergoing hardship recovering from WW2.
With the British gone the State of Israel came into being.
Since 1948 the nationalist parties in Israel have done all possible to ensure the survival of a country surrounded by implaccable enemies - Mr Shamir with his role in Govt. and as PM was a leading figure in this never ending battle.
It is only to be hoped that the present and future generation of Israelis will heed his advice - aquired during a lifetime of dealing with the problems faced by the State.
- NO land is to be returned to the so called Palestinians
- The Judea/Samaria settlements must stay and
dramatically expand
- The Arab nations can never be trusted - they will
never relax their dream that the Jewish State must be
destroyed, along with all Israeli Jewish subjects
Yes - Mr Shamir has passed into history after
contributing so much for Israel
May his name be eternally blessed

(3)
Haim,
July 3, 2012 9:35 PM

Shamir started as a Terroroist

Yitzhak Shamir was a member of the Irgun Zvi Luimi, the terrorist organization that came out of the Revisionist movement. Itzak Stern led a split when the Irgun declared a truce with the British in World war II. Stern started Lehi, "Fishters for the kingdom of Israel." They wanted to fight the British and the Arabs during the war. They even attempted to make an alliance with Germany. Later after Stern was killed by the Birtish, Shamir took over Lehi. He ordered the assination of Lord Moyne, the British Minister Resident in Ciaro. He wanted to assisnate Lord Cunningham, the British High Commisioner of Palestine, but the security was too tight, so they choose Lord Moyne. Later in 1948 Shamir ordered the successful assination Count Folke Bernadotte, the first UN mediator. Bernadotte had dsitinguished himself during the war by saving thousands of Jews from German concentration camps. They were evacuated to Sweden.
This goes to show yesterday's terrorist is today's statestman.

p.herring,
July 8, 2012 2:06 AM

corrections to Haim

1. Irgun Zvai leumi was an underground organisation opposing the British colonial rule - they were terrorists ONLY in the eyes of the occupying power
2. Avraham Stern was murdered in cold blood by a detective from the British Palestine Police Force when located in a Tel Aviv Apartment - who betrayed him ......

(2)
dovid,
July 3, 2012 4:00 PM

Few said anything good about him during his lifetime.

Does one has to die so that those left behind say anything good about him?

(1)
Anonymous,
July 2, 2012 7:30 PM

In memory....

Beautifully written eulogy of a very fine person. The Jewish people were fortunate to have him serve Israel.

Brit Milah has been the hallmark of Jewish identification for millennia. This issue was particularly relevant in Nazi Germany when men were often made to strip down to determine their Jewish identity.

The point was made quite powerfully in a movie called "Europa Europa," the true story about a young Jewish boy trying to escape detection by the Nazis. The boy resembles an Aryan and speaks German fluently, so he poses as a non-Jew and is eventually recruited into an elite training program for the next generation of SS officers. Only his circumcision, which he couldn't hide, kept him Jewish. The man survived the war, and made a new life for himself in Israel. Instead, he may have ended up becoming a Nazi officer. It all depended on the Bris.

That's why so many are shocked at the ruling this week by a German court that renders religious circumcisions performed by Jews and Muslims a crime. Germany is home to an estimated 4 million Muslims and 100,000 Jews.

According to a report in Germany's Financial Times, the Cologne District Court declared circumcision is a "serious and irreversible interference in the integrity of the human body." The court also ruled that freedom of religion and the rights of parents cannot justify the practice.

Visitor Comments: 7

(7)
ilyas abasi,
July 23, 2012 1:06 PM

Religious freedom

It should be people's own choice.

(6)
Steve,
July 3, 2012 1:29 PM

I find the comments interesting because it shows no one actually read about the ruling! The ruling had NOTHING to do with Judaism. It was about a MUSLIM circumcision of a 4 year old that went bad. The ER doctor notified the authorities when treating the boy for bleeding. The fact the the MD called the police to report a bad circumcision is suspect enough for me. But ut was probably origininally an anti-muslim thing.

(5)
Anonymous,
July 1, 2012 7:37 PM

At the moment it is only valid in the city of Cologne, but many fear, it will be taken as an example for future rulings, too. Some hospitals have already decided to suspend surgeries until the matter is clearer. All are waiting for the German parliament and the federal court to overturn the ruling. It truly sounds unbelievable!

(4)
Anonymous,
July 1, 2012 6:11 PM

The Germans should WANT Bris Mila!

I am surprised at the court ruling.
Of course, the Germans, like the Arabs, look for any
opportunity to afflict the Jews -- but here, the Germans
are working against their own best interest. By forbidding Bris Mila, how are they going to recognize Jews who are trying to hide during their next holocaust?

(3)
Darryl,
July 1, 2012 4:19 PM

It is getting troublesom

I think they're trying to make the Muslims assmulate more and easier. The Jews being affected is just a happy by product for the Europeans.

(2)
H.E.Brown,
June 30, 2012 4:03 AM

Brit Milah

Sounds like hitler is back.

(1)
Salem,
June 30, 2012 2:35 AM

NOT Mutilation

This is just sad. I believe the German courts are saying circumcison is the same as genital mutilation. This is not so. Hopefully this ruling will be reversed.
I would also like to say being blonde does not mean you are not Jewish. I am blonde naturally, have green eyes, am tall for a girl, and speak German. None of that takes away from me being a Jew. I hate the idea that all Jews are short with dark hair and dark eyes- or in general you have to look a certain way to be a Jew. THAT needs to end.

Mention "Poland" and many people think of the millions of Jews decimated there by the Nazis.

If you're a European soccer fan, you think of Poland as the site of Euro 2012, the European soccer championship currently underway.

One curious side effect is that athletes are taking time off to see the local sites. The national squads of England, Netherlands and Italy are all based in Krakow – and went to visit the Auschwitz death camp.

"Most youngsters today have a glorified image of a ghetto, but the ghettos we have learned about today are not like that," British player Joleon Lescott is quoted in Sports Illustrated. "I did not have a full understanding of what the word means… You see it in films and learn about it in music but to learn the origins of the word ghetto opens your eyes."

While Holocaust education is standard in most of the civilized world, the experience of being at the death camps makes it much more real. As the Talmud says: Aino domeh r'iya l'shmiya – there is no comparison between hearing about something and actually seeing it.

"You see the children's clothes and shoes, it's really sad," British player Wayne Rooney told AP. "You have to see it firsthand. It puts football (soccer) into perspective."

England team manager Roy Hodgson donned a kippah and lit a memorial candle at the site. "There are so many lessons to be learnt and understood from the Holocaust, and we believe football (soccer) can play its part in encouraging society to speak out against intolerance in all its forms," Hodgson told AP.

Those lessons came to the fore for the Holland squad. The day after returning from Auschwitz, at a practice session attended by 25,000 spectators in Krakow, the team's black players were subjected to monkey noises and loud jeers. Unfortunately, hatred and intolerance are still rife today.

I just finished reading Out of the Depths (Sterling, 2011), the phenomenal autobiography of Israel's former Chief Rabbi, Israel Meir Lau. I had the great privilege of interviewing Rabbi Lau for this Aish.com film, in which he describes his rise from the youngest survivor of Buchenwald to becoming one of the most respected individuals of our generation. But I never knew the full extent of his life until reading this gripping book. He describes lengthy conversations with Yitzhak Rabin, Fidel Castro, Pope John Paul II, and visits to every corner of the world.

This one story captures so much of the drama that typifies Rabbi's Lau's life:

After [World War II], the daughter of a rabbi had a child with a non-Jewish man, and she gave up the infant to a Catholic monastery. She also cut herself off from Judaism. A young rabbi who knew her from childhood, her father's close disciple, attempted to contact her. He tried to find out what had happened to her father, his rabbi, but she avoided him. He decided to go directly to her house. When she saw who it was, she slammed the door in his face, but he did not give up. She opened the door once more, and said quickly and furiously, "I have nothing to do with you people. I've begun a new chapter in my life."

He asked for a glass of water. The woman bowed her head, then invited him to come inside. Again the Jew asked to know what had happened to her father, and explained that he had felt like a son to the rabbi, and that he had a responsibility to memorialize him. Finally, the woman recounted her story.

It was morning, after services. Her father was sitting beside the table wearing his tallis and tefillin, studying Talmud. Suddenly they heard a savage pounding on the door. "I opened the door. Three Gestapo men burst into the room. They threw me on the ground. I got up and ran to see what they wanted. They pushed their way into my father's room. He raised his head and gave them a look that I won't forget until my dying day. He stared at them as if to ask, What do you want from me? What can I do for you? That was to be his last look. One of the three slung the rifle off his shoulder and pounded the butt on my father's head... His beautiful white beard reddened, and he fell onto the open Talmud.

"What do you want from me? Can't you understand the source of my bitterness? Can't you understand my anger? That's how they took my father," she ended.

The man sat before her and wept for his rabbi, the daughter weeping along with him. "My sister," he said, "you cannot possibly understand how much I understand you. I also have many questions, but I have no answers. No human being can answer such questions. The Torah cautions that the secret things belong unto the Lord our God ― we, however, have the responsibility to act. But the revealed things apply to us and to our children forever: that we must fulfill all the words of this Torah.

"Your child's grandfather has only one grandchild," he continued. "A fateful and historic decision now lies in your hands. If he continues in his present direction, you are handing your father's murderers their victory. That is exactly what they wanted ― to put out the fire, the flame of Judaism, so that it would never burn again. But if your child follows his grandfather's path, then they have lost the war, and your father has won. Who deserves to win? The key is in your hands. Do you want to finish their work? Will you finish spiritually what they did not finish physically? Or will your father win, and his grandson pick up his grandfather's studies on the very page of Talmud where he left off?"

With these words, the Jew walked out of the house. The daughter was stunned. She ran after him, got into his car, and said, "I want to get him out of [the monastery] right now." Then she added, "On the condition that you take responsibility for his education. I have no one else who can do it." He agreed, on his own condition: that she assist him, so as not to traumatize the child by the abrupt transition. "You draw him near to you, and through you, I will draw near to him," he proposed.

Today, this child is a rosh yeshiva in Jerusalem. He is the only living descendant of the old rabbi from Warsaw.

Visitor Comments: 3

(3)
devorah,
May 11, 2012 3:11 PM

incredible

this story brought big tears to my eyes. my mother is just like this daughter, she lost her mother during the war at the age of 4 and she always wished to move away from judaism, to the point that when I was young she actually wanted me to marry a non-Jew, so that the children won't be marked as Jews. i was not brought up religious, but i intuitively followed the same logic as the young rabbi in the story - if they hate us so much, why bring one of them home, why hand them the victory?

(2)
Anonymous,
May 8, 2012 1:13 PM

I recommend this book....

I also recently read it and found it fascinating - and well written. I hadn't seen the video interview before and was glad to have a link to that. Thanks for your interesting blog, Rabbi Simmons.

(1)
Anonymous,
May 8, 2012 12:12 PM

Most incredible story I've heard

A post holocaust miracle.

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My visit to Poland in 2006 was filled with great pain ― the overwhelming sense of destruction, emptiness and loss. But one spot that carried a sense of hope was Krakow.

Prior to World War II, Krakow was a burgeoning Jewish center that comprised 30 percent of the city's population, with 100 synagogues and a rich rabbinic tradition dating back to the 12th century.

During the Holocaust, like the rest of Poland, the Jews of Krakow were confined to a ghetto and then murdered in concentration camps.

The physical infrastructure of Jewish Krakow, however, remained largely intact. Following the Nazi invasion in September 1939, the Germans turned Krakow into their regional headquarters. So unlike the rest of Poland, Krakow was not subject to devastating bombings. Many of the synagogues were used as warehouses, and emerged from the war relatively undamaged. This preserved Krakow's Jewish historical and architectural legacy, and the synagogues stand today as a testimony to the grandeur that once was.

My visit to Krakow coincided with the annual Jewish Cultural Festival, a week-long summer event focusing on Jewish culture, history and religion that flourished in Poland before the Holocaust. It is fascinating to see tens of thousands of Poles converge on Krakow's old Jewish district, Kazimierz, looking to discover and experience the Jewish life that was so brutally snuffed out.

Now, a new Jewish institution is thriving in Krakow ― an American-style Jewish Community Centre. The local Jewish population, numbering around 500, partakes in Hebrew classes, lifecycle events, and weekly Shabbat dinners. There is even a staff genealogist to assist those seeking to uncover their long-dormant Jewish roots.

I've often thought that if given the opportunity to spend a month of quiet writing and study, the location I'd choose is Krakow. Walking the cobbled alleys of Kazimierz hearkens back to the life my own ancestors must have led in Eastern Europe. There is the original Beis Yaakov building founded by Sara Schenirer; the old cemetery where Rabbi Moshe Isserles (the Remah) and the Tosfos Yom Tov are buried; and some of the grandest synagogues you could imagine. As strange as it may sound, Krakow ― though steeped in Jewish suffering ― remains full of Jewish inspiration.

Elie Wiesel, the famed Nobel Prize-winning author and Holocaust survivor, is jumping into the fray these days about the highly-charged political situation in Iran.

Last week, when Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu compared the Iranian nuclear threat to a second Holocaust, Wiesel shot back:

"Iran is a threat, but can we say that it will make a second Auschwitz? I don't compare anything to the Holocaust... Only Auschwitz was Auschwitz."

This week, Wiesel accompanied President Barack Obama on a visit to the Holocaust Museum in Washington. Following the visit, as reported by the Washington Times, President Obama said:

"It's a bitter truth. Too often the world has failed to prevent the killing of innocents on a massive scale, and we are haunted by the atrocities that we did not stop and the lives we did not save."

But Wiesel wondered aloud why world leaders have not "learned anything" from the Holocaust.

"How is it that Assad is still in power?" Wiesel asked, referring to the 10,000 civilians who have died in Syria since popular protests began about a year ago.

Wiesel continued:

"How is it that the Holocaust's No. 1 denier, Ahmadinejad, is still a president? He who threatens to use nuclear weapons… to destroy the Jewish state. We must know that when evil has power, it is almost too late."

So Wiesel did in fact use the Holocaust Museum as an opportunity to push for protection of Israel today.

My take on all this is that while there are clear parallels ― i.e. Israel's 6 million Jews are being threatened with annihilation by a dictatorial madman ― using the term capital-H "Holocaust" is best reserved for that horrific singular event in world history, the Nazi destruction of European Jewry.

Now it's up to each of us to stop Iran and ensure that nothing of the sort ever happens again.

Eli Weisel should continue with his efforts to bring down
Ahmedijenbad

Anonymous,
April 25, 2012 8:30 PM

Eli Weisel is absolutly right. Lieders of countries who advocate killings and kill, who advocate destruction should be stoped before is too late. That is a simple logic.Many organization collect money, only money will not do the job.Wake up world We dso not need an other Hitler.

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Just when you think you've seen the height of insensitivity, there's this:

The "hipster" clothing company Urban Outfitters is now selling a t-shirt bearing a six-pointed Star of David patch that ― along with the bright yellow shirt fabric ― is clearly suggestive of the infamous "yellow star" worn by European Jews under Nazi persecution.

This is not the first time that Urban Outfitters has offended Jewish sensibilities. In 2004 they marketed a shirt bearing the words "Everybody Loves a Jewish Girl" surrounded by dollar signs and shopping bags.

During the second Intifada, the chain sold Palestinian kaffiyehs which they referred to as "antiwar scarves." Another shirt showed a Palestinian youth carrying an AK-47 assault rifle over the word "Victimized."

Update: Wood Wood, the Danish producers of the shirt, is apparently marketing it under the rubric of "Mescaline Mathematics" - fashion featuring interconnected geometrical shapes. So is the Nazi connotation genuine, or just another Rorschach test for those attuned to the Holocaust?

Update #2: Now it's getting more interesting. Wood Wood has issued a statement acknowledging that "when we received the prototype of this particular style we did recognize the resemblance" to the Star of David. The statement is signed by Wood Wood co-founder, Brian SS Jensen (no kidding - "SS").

Visitor Comments: 6

(6)
MitchA,
April 26, 2012 6:34 PM

I can't find it

You are right. there is no excuse for something like this. However I went to U.O. web page and looked for the shirt so I can call them with an item number and complain. Lo and behold, it only shows the shirt. Without the 'star'. Can anyone find the item online and let me know the item number? Thanks

(5)
Richard Garza-Ray,
April 24, 2012 10:16 PM

Perhaps a worldwide boycot of Wood Wood products might get their attention to change their insensentive ways to make a dollar.

(4)
Andy,
April 23, 2012 9:32 PM

$100 for a tee shirt with holocaust themed star. Maybe number tatoos will come stylish as well.

At the risk of inspiring more antisemitic jokes re cheap Jews it seems to me that anyone foolish enough to pay $100 for a holocaust themed/star tee shirt is an idiot in more ways than one. Speaking of insensitivity I was flipping thru channels on TV last week and on a cable talk show "Chelsea Lately" someone commeneted re the subject of tatoos that "one is never too old to get a tatoo, and he heard of someone getting one at Auchweitz when he was over sixty years of age." Even the often jaded Jewish host and her other guest seemed a bit taken aback and moved the conversation to another subject. It's a long galut. Am yisroel chai.

(3)
Anonymous,
April 23, 2012 10:12 AM

excellent blog

For weeks I've wanted to write a comment to say how much I've been enjoying Shraga's Blog, and today I had to take the time to do it. It's always current and interesting, and keeps me up to date on things I might have missed in the news - like this outrageous tee shirt available to young men. Shraga's Blog is an important addition to the Aish site - and different from the other weekly offerings. It keeps me checking in with Aish every day.

(2)
Anonymous,
April 23, 2012 9:09 AM

The t-shirt with the yellow star is beyond disgusting, and so is the t-shirt with the slogan everybody loves a Jewish girl. We need to vote with our wallets and not buy these pieces of garbage. Remember, money talks. If this retailer does not make any money on these shirts, the product will simply be yanked from the shelves.

(1)
cathy,
April 22, 2012 9:40 PM

The worst

Now I know I have seen everything. Next they will be selling KKK white sheets and hoods.
How can they get away with this......just horrendous, and naseating....and so beyond offensive. There must be some demand for this kind of trash....the world is truly upside down.

With each passing year, as the number of Holocaust survivors dwindles, the idea of a "new" Holocaust story becomes almost unimaginable.

Now, as reported by AFP, a woman who lives in an Arab town in northern Israel ― matriarch to a large clan of children and grandchildren ― has come clean.

The story:

In 1941, the Brashatsky family ― mother, father and two young boys ― was deported from Yugoslavia to the Auschwitz death camp. The parents were assigned as housekeepers for a Christian doctor at Auschwitz. To spare them, he hid the entire family under the floor of his house inside the camp.

A few months later, Mrs. Brashatsky gave birth to a baby girl, Helen.

The Auschwitz doctor hid the baby, too.

She was given a Hebrew name, Leah.

Three years later, the war ended. Auschwitz was liberated, and the Brashatsky family was free.

They moved to Israel in 1948, a few months prior to the declaration of statehood.

The family settled in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv. When Helen was 17, she met an Arab man named Ahmed Jabarin. They married and she ran off to make a life in the northern Arab town of Umm al-Fahm.

Although Helen's husband and children knew she was Jewish, she never revealed any details of her past. Over the decades, she became known as Umm Raja, Arabic for "Raja's mother," after her first-born son. She adopted the traditional Muslim dress code of hijab and long robes.

Helen's true heritage got buried deeper when her oldest son became 18 and ― as the child of a Jewish Israeli ― was summoned into the Israeli Army. In order to avoid the draft, Helen "converted" to Islam.

"I hid my pain for 52 years and the truth about my past from my children and grandchildren," Helen told AFP. "I was just waiting for the right moment to tell them."

This week, as Holocaust Memorial Day came around once again, Helen finally told them.

The memories poured out: Of wearing striped pajamas. Of eating dry bread soaked in water. Of witnessing horrific beatings in the camp. Of gas chambers, crematoria and death all around.

"Mom used to cry on Holocaust Memorial Day watching all the ceremonies on Israeli television," her son Nader told AFP. "We never understood why. We all used to get out of the way and leave her alone in the house… We understand her a bit more now."

Maybe now "Umm Raja―Helen―Leah" will feel a bit more comfortable speaking not only Arabic and Hebrew, but some of the Yiddish she still remembers as a child.

About this Blog

Shraga's Blog presents an eclectic mix of insights on current topics through the lens of Torah Judaism.
The author, Rabbi Shraga Simmons, holds a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and
rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. He is the senior editor of Aish.com and the director
of JewishPathways.com. He was the founding editor of HonestReporting.com and is the author of a new book,
David & Goliath: The Explosive Inside Story of Media Bias in
the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (2012).